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BOSTON COMMON IN THE 
SEVENTEENTH CENTURY 



Set in type and printed 

by 

The Afternoon Class 

1903 



Compliments of 
V-^^As-^'^c . The Industrial School 

For Crippled and Deformed Children 
424 Newbury Street 



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In exclianga 
ilAt 16 1916 



^73 

.Ci 6751 



" The Historic 

Old Elm '' 



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BOSTON COiMMON IN THE 
SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 



npHE COMMON wore a very different aspect 
in 1640 from that of to-day. Speaking in a 
general way it contained sixty or seventy acres, and 
was enclosed by the present Charles, Bovlston, 
Mason, and Beacon Streets. In its midst were 
four low hills, sloping gradually towards the 
marshes, which stretched over the Back Bav region. 
The ground was covered with rough boulders and 
scrubby bushes, making an ideal pasture ground for 
the cattle of the townspeople. 

At first no restriction was made in regard to the 
number pastured here, but in 1646 it was found 
necessary to pass the following resolution : ** It is 
ordered that there shall be kepte on the Common 
bye the Inhabitants but seventy milch kine." The 
shepherd in charge received ** two shillings and six 



BOSTON COMMON IN THE 



pence the head for every cow that goes there," 
tho' if a man preferred, he could keep four sheep in 
place of one cow. There were at that time three 
small ponds on the Common, so the cattle did not 
suffer for lack of water. Thev were not so 
fortunate, however, in finding shelter from the sun, 
for early maps show but three trees on the Common. 
The one represented as standing in the middle of the 
Common was doubtless the historic old elm; the 
other two stood nearer our present Park Street. 

On the highest of the slopes was placed a wind- 
mill to grind corn for the early settlers, which was 
later replaced bv a powderhouse ; and on the next 
hill, where the flag-staff now is, stood a watch- 
house. The hay scales were placed near the 
present corner of Tremont and Bovlston Streets, 
while further along, at the corner of West Street, 
and near the Stocks and Gun-house, stood a build- 
ing known for many vears as the School-house in 
the Common. There was also a whipping post 
located somewhere on the Common, for in 1688 



SEVENTEENTH CENTURY 



Judge Sewall wrote in his diary that ** a Whipping- 
post is set up by the middle Watch house." 

This was the general aspect of the Common 
during the 17th century. A few scattered build- 
ings and frameworks were on it, but for the most 
part it was a tract of rough wasted land, given over 
to a pasture ground. 

A part, however, was flat enough to be used as 
a training-field, and here once a week the colonial 
troops drilled. This may also have been the 
playground used by Sam Hirst and his friends for 
their games of wicket. 

Very strict rules were made in these early days 
in regard to Sabbath-breaking. According to one 
entry in the Town Records, it was voted ** that 
noe psons shall ride too and froo aboute the Com- 
mon on ye Sabbath Day, to water horses on the 
penalty of 5s. to any pson so transgressing." 

During the 17 th century occurred the first 
agitation in regard to Witches and Quakers. They 
were looked upon as heretical and suspicious per- 



sons and were punished accordingly. A few of 
the former may have been hung on the Common, 
but the greater part met their death on the so- 
called Witches Hill in Salem. 

The Quakers, however, congregated chiefly in 
the town of Boston, and it was here that several of 
them were convicted and finallv sentenced to death. 
Tradition asserts that five of them were hung from 
a limb of the old elm. 

Troubles also occurred with the Indians who 
were condemned to death by the town authorities. 
In 1676 occurred the following entry in Sam 
Sewall's diary: * 'There were eight Indians shot to 
death on the Common upon Wind-mill Hill." 
These events were of frequent occurrence, and 
many an Indian met his death here, and was after- 
wards buried on the shore at the bottom of the 
Common. 

As the town grew larger the numbers of the 
poor increased, and need was soon felt of a building 
for the maintenance of the needv. Land on the 



SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. 



corner of our Park and Beacon Streets was granted 
for an Almshouse, which was build in 1662. 

Below it stood the Town Granary and the Pound, 
on land which had been taken in previous years from 
the Common. 

By 1700 we find, therefore, that a part of the 
land had been taken away from the Common for 
the town buildings, but that in other respects it had 
been little changed. No trees had been planted, 
and few paths had been laid out. A small rail 
fence was set up for a short distance, but it did not 
hinder the cows from wandering in all directions. 
In spite of the other purposes to which it was put, 
it remained pre-eminently the pasture ground and 
training-field for the townspeople of Boston, and 
continued to be used for these purposes until well 
into the nineteenth century. 



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